Letter of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
to the Presidents of Episcopal Conferences
in Asia, the Americas and Oceania

Your Eminences/Excellencies,

1. The idea of writing a letter on the need to pay greater pastoral
attention to Traditional Religions emerged in the course of the last Plenary
Assembly of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (November
1992). Assessment of the work of the PCID included a discussion on dialogue
with the followers of Traditional Religions. A letter has already been
written on this subject to the Presidents of the Episcopal Conferences
of Africa and Madagascar (March 25, 1988 - Bulletin 1988/XXIII/2).

It was felt that since Traditional Religions are present in different
forms not only in Africa, but also in Asia, the Americas, Oceania, it would
be useful to call the attention of the Episcopal Conferences of these continents
to the importance of pastoral attention to the Traditional Religions and
the usefulness of an exchange of reflections and experiences in this field.

THE NATURE OF TRADITIONAL RELIGIONS

2. What is meant by Traditional Religions?

By Traditional Religions we mean those religions which, unlike the world
religions that have spread into many countries and cultures, have remained
in their original socio-cultural environment. The word 'traditional' does
not refer to something static or unchangeable, but rather denotes this
localised matrix.

There is no agreement on a single name to be used when referring to
these religions. Some names (e.g. paganism, fetishism) convey a negative
meaning and, in addition, do not really describe the contents of these
religions. Nowadays, even a term such as animism is no longer commonly
acceptable. Whereas in Africa these religions are ordinarily referred to
as "African Traditional Religions"; in Asia they are called 'Tribal
Religions and Folk Religions', in America 'Native Religions and Afro-American
Religions', and in Oceania 'Indigenous Religions'.

3. Elements of the Traditional Religions.

Traditional Religions generally have a clear belief in One God, in a
Supreme Being Who goes by such names as Great Spirit, Creator, the Great
One, the Mighty Spirit, the Divine, the Transcendent, the One who lives
above, Heaven etc.

There is also a belief in other beings which are above humankind but
are less than the Supreme Being. They may be called spirits and some experts
on the Traditional Religions sometimes call them "deities" or
"gods", with a small "d" or "g". Deceased
adult relatives, i.e. ancestors, are also objects of belief.

Cult or worship in Traditional Religions is directed generally to the
spirits and the ancestors and sometimes to God. It takes the form of prayer
especially in the family, worship at shrines and communal sacrifices. Fear
of the evil spirits or ancestors motivates many acts of worship.

The moral code is regarded as that which has been handed down by past
generations and sanctioned by the spirits and the ancestors, and occasionally
by God.

Traditional Religions do not generally lay claim to revealed books.
Nor are they articulated in theoretical statements of a theological or
philosophical nature. The riches of their contents, and their many values,
are more often found in their celebrations, stories and proverbs, and conveyed
through attitudes, customs and codes of conduct. It is rare that a traditional
religion traces itself back to a founder.

4. Some Major Values in Traditional Religions.

In many traditional societies there is a strong sense of the sacred.
Religion permeates life to such an extent that it is often difficult to
distinguish between strictly religious elements and local custom. Authority
is not seen as something secular but is regarded as a sacred trust. People
of Traditional Religions show great attention to the earth. They respect
life and celebrate its important stages: birth, entrance into adulthood,
marriage, death. There is a strong sense of the family, which includes
love of children, respect for the elders, a community link with the ancestors.
Symbolism is important for interpreting the invisible world and the human
being's relationship with it. There is an obvious love of ritual.

5. Shadows in Traditional Religions.

Traditional religions also have their negative elements. Examples can
be given: inadequate ideas about God, superstition, fear of the spirits,
objectionable moral practices, the rejection of twins (in some places),
even occasional human sacrifice.

6. Traditional Religions in a Period of Change.

Traditional Religions have in the past formed one piece with the cultures
of the people who practised them. Among these peoples the same word was
often used for religion, custom and culture. These forces and values held
their societies together.

The meeting with Christianity, other religions and also with western
culture, and especially with modern science and technology and urbanisation,
has affected these societies and their Traditional Religions. Nevertheless
the influence of Traditional Religions remains strong, particularly at
moments of crisis.

REASONS FOR PASTORAL ATTENTION AND DIALOGUE
WITH TRADITIONAL RELIGIONS

7. Traditional Religions constitute the religious context in which a
good number of people live or have lived.

Many recent converts to Christianity come from a background of traditional
religions. This is true not only in those Churches where the Gospel has
been preached only within the last century or so, but also in some countries
where the Church has been established for many centuries. Many of these
converts live in cultures and contexts influenced by these religions. This
is proved by the fact that at some important moments in their lives (such
as sickness, danger, marriage, birth of a child, funeral of a relative)
they tend to have recourse to practices of their traditional religions
or to prayer houses, healing homes, witch-craft, "prophets" or
fortune-tellers.

It is to be noted that in Latin America the descendants of the people
brought over as slaves from Africa in the 16th and 17th centuries have
not lost everything of the religion and culture of their ancestors. Within
the great variety of Afro-American cults, there are some that have kept
very near to their original forms, such as Candomblé in Bahia (Brazil)
and others that are rather syncretistic, as can be found in Haiti, Cuba
and Jamaica.

The Native Americans who have become Christians want to remain authentic
Native Americans. The Holy Father encouraged them in his speeches to them
at the shrine of St. Anne de Beaupré in Canada on 10 September, 1984, and
at Phoenix, Arizona, on 14 September 1987. He encouraged the Native Australians
or the Aborigines of Australia in the same way at Alice Springs on 29 November
1986. Also worthy of mention are the two more recent encounters the Holy
Father had with the Amerindians and the Afro-Americans in Santo Domingo
on 12 October, 1992.

All this is a clear indication that the herald of the Gospel should
pay great attention to the traditional religions and the cultures which
go along with them. Christianity should aim at influencing the whole of
life and producing integrated persons, rather than have people live parallel
lives, at different levels. The encounter of Gospel and culture, including
its religious element, will involve a careful sifting out, a discernment,
which is not always easy.

8. Inculturation for Better Proclamation.

The Church respects the religions and cultures of peoples, and, in its
encounter with them, wishes to preserve everything that is noble, true
and good in their religions and cultures. To the extent that Traditional
Religions are better understood, Christianity will be more suitably proclaimed.
As Pope John Paul II states in the encyclical 'Redemptoris Missio': "The
process of the Church's insertion into peoples' cultures is a lengthy one.
It is not a matter of purely external adaptation, for inculturation 'means
the intimate transformation of authentic cultural values through their
integration in Christianity and the insertion of Christianity in the various
human cultures'. The process is thus a profound and all-embracing one,
which involves the Christian message and also the Church's reflection and
practice". (RM, 52).

Elements of both a religion and the culture influenced by it can enrich
catechesis and liturgy, and therein attain their fulfilment. Necessary
is an in-depth study in order to discover those elements Christianity can
adopt or adapt, ennoble and purify, and those which must be rejected (LG
13), with constant attention to the danger of syncretism.

With those who wish to become Christians, and those who have already
converted from Traditional Religion, dialogue must be understood in the
broadest possible sense, namely as the pastoral approach to traditional
Religion in order to present the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the
most appropriate manner so that the Church may have deeper roots among
that people. In this regard, during the recent encounter in Santo Domingo,
the Holy Father delivered an address to the Afro-American representatives
in which he said: "Evangelization does not destroy your values but
is incarnated in them; it consolidates and strengthens them. It causes
the growth of the seed scattered by the Word of God who was in the world
as 'the true light that enlightens every man' (Jn 1:9), before becoming
flesh to save and gather up all things in himself" (GS 57). (Holy
Father's Address to Afro-Americans, Santo Domingo, 12 October, 1992).

9. Dialogue

With those who adhere to Traditional Religions and do not wish to become
Christians yet, dialogue must be taken in the ordinary sense of encounter,
mutual understanding, respect, discovery of the seeds of the Word in this
religion, and the joint quest for God's will.

Dialogue should be understood here according to its different forms
(cf. Dialogue and Proclamation 42). Particularly important
in the context of Traditional Religions will be the "dialogue of life"
and the "dialogue of action", or collaboration in the field of
integral human development.

There remains some difficulty with regard to this dialogue. In some
cases there are secret elements to these religions, and open contact is
not desired. In other cases the lack of structures makes organised dialogue
more difficult.

Nor should one overlook the ambiguity of this dialogue. To undiscriminating
persons it can sometimes seem as if a stamp of approval is being given
to these religions. Yet in all cases respect and openness are needed. Dialogue
with the adherents of Traditional Religions is an expression of charity
which knows no boundaries.

THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION

10. Vatican II recommends in-depth theological investigation with a
view to a profound Evangelization (AG 22). The pastoral attention to Traditional
Religions which this letter seeks to encourage is a step in the direction
of this in-depth theological reflection.

11. In the study of Traditional Religions and cultures and in the reflection
on how Christianity can ensure the desired pastoral approach, some key
doctrinal points must be kept in mind, namely: the revealed nature of the
message Christ has brought to us, the central role of Jesus Christ, the
irreplaceable role of the Bible and Tradition, the unity of the Church,
the role of Peter's successor in the communion of the Local Churches with
the Church of Rome and among themselves. All this provides the necessary
framework within which the riches of the Traditional Religions can attain
their fulfilment. It is important to guarantee the unity of the Catholic
faith throughout the entire world, even if the manner of expressing that
faith can vary from one people and culture to another.

ACTION BY THE EPISCOPAL CONFERENCES

12. Since this investigation and the subsequent pastoral action are
truly important for the apostolate of the Church, and bearing in mind the
delicate nature of the undertaking, the major responsibility in this field
pertains to the Episcopal Conferences of each country or region.

13. As has already been done in such a praiseworthy manner by several
Episcopal Conferences, it would be opportune for each Episcopal Conference
to appoint a small group of competent and skilled people eager to undertake
this research in close co-operation with the Episcopal Conference and,
through it, with the competent Dicasteries of the Holy See. Ecumenical
collaboration in this field is to be encouraged. Likewise, it would be
advisable to promote the study and knowledge of Traditional Religions as
part of the formation programme in seminaries, ecclesiastical institutes,
and religious houses of study.

14. In conclusion, I would like to stress the readiness of the Pontifical
Council for Interreligious Dialogue to sustain, encourage and co-operate
with future endeavours geared towards a better knowledge of suitable pastoral
approach. At the same time the PCID is ready to act as a clearing-house
for the exchange of knowledge and information among the Episcopal Conferences
if they would send us, when available, information on studies already carried
out or in progress, relevant publications, names of experts, and anything
else that could contribute to fruitful co-operation.